Underground mining, also called hard rock mining, relies on the excavation (i.e. digging) of substantially vertical and substantially horizontal galleries or tunnels, commonly called “shafts”. Elevators and lifts are used in vertical shafts while wagons are used in horizontal shafts for transport of ore material, equipment, and personnel.
A commercially exploitable ore body oftentimes follows geological formations that may be at shallow angles, for example at 45 degrees from horizontal. Access to these formations using only horizontal and/or vertical shafts is not efficient. There are currently no available techniques and equipment capable of operating in mine shafts dug at shallow angles.
Shallow angle underground tunnels are also dug for other applications, including for instance for a penstock dug between a dam and a turbine and generator for hydro-electric applications. There is currently no efficient solution for transport of equipment or personnel along such tunnels.
Therefore, there is a need for transportation systems capable of transporting a load within tunnel dug at a shallow angle.